The "AI version of the iPhone" has been ridiculed as beautiful and wasteful, expensive and difficult to use

智东西(公众号:Gitscom)

Author | Cheng Qian

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Ai Pin, a new AI hardware that became popular with "Killing Smartphones", overturned in a large area after its debut, and criticism poured in like a tide.

With the name of "a new species of AI hardware", and with the blessing of multiple halos such as the entrepreneurship of former Apple executives and the investment of OpenAI CEO, Ai Pin was out of the circle when it appeared, and was not only selected as one of the "Best Inventions of 2023" by Time magazine, but also sold quite hot, with pre-orders opening for $699 (equivalent to more than 5,000 yuan) on November 16 last year, and more than 4.5 million units in less than 1 month.

▲最中间为 pin本体四周为 pin配件(图源:Wired)

Humane, the start-up behind Ai Pin, has also made a name for itself. Founded in 2018 by former Apple software engineering director Bethany Bongiorno and former Apple designer Imran Chaudhri, the startup has raised $230 million in funding to $850 million after announcing a $100 million funding in March last year.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and venture capital divisions of Microsoft, LG, Volvo, and Qualcomm are among its investors.

When it first came out, the Ai Pin was touted as the next disruptive consumer electronics product most likely to replace the iPhone, with no screen, interactive through taps, gestures, and voice, and the device integrated large models from OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, answered users' questions through virtual assistants, and supported real-time translation of conversations. It is smaller and lighter than a mobile phone, and has some basic functions of a mobile phone, such as making calls, playing music, taking photos, recording videos, etc.

The Ai Pin went on sale in March this year, and shipping began on April 11. However, after the arrival of this high-profile emerging AI hardware, the actual experience was shocking. After sorting, more than 10 foreign media listed a total of 12 "bad reviews" for Ai Pin:

1. If you continuously send a request for use or use the projector for more than 3 minutes, it will prompt overheating and cooling shutdown;

2. The gesture operation is complicated, it is difficult to quickly find the corresponding gesture, and it is easy to miss the correct option if the movement range is too large;

3. The palm is uneven, the projection effect is poor, and the strong light environment is completely off;

4. The composition cannot be previewed when taking a photo, and it needs to be still for 3 seconds to take a photo, and the photo grain is too high in a dark environment;

5. Listen to music for an additional $11 per month;

6. There is an additional $24 per month to use the T-Mobile network;

7. The initial setting needs to be restarted repeatedly;

8. The wearing method has requirements for the material of the clothes, which is easy to make the opposite user uneasy;

9. Independent system ecology, no mobile app;

10. Slow response and low quality of reply content;

11. Do not use for 5 hours from full power to shutdown;

12. The vision function has poor recognition and retrieval effect.

In response, Ken Kocienda, head of product engineering at Humane, responded to the criticism with a lengthy post, accusing netizens of being prone to joining the "skepticism bandwagon" and "they are dumbfounded by the same things you point out and find holes in every little detail".

"Is Ai Pin sometimes frustrating? Can my laptop and smartphone be frustrating at times? Yes, there is no perfect product. Ken Kocienda wrote.

1. It takes 3 minutes to overheat and turn off, and it is a hand warmer that cannot be ignored

Humane's official information reveals that Ai Pin's laser projector is "designed for short interactions (up to 6 to 9 minutes) rather than for long periods of use" and that it "deliberately sets a conservative thermal limit for the first version, which could cause it to need to be cooled." ”

However, this is not the case, when the user makes continuous requests for use or uses the projector for too long, the Ai Pin will quickly get hot and notify the user that it has overheated and needs to be cooled, sometimes even after just three minutes.

Even if it doesn't get unbearable heat for the wearer, the user can clearly feel the battery like a hand warmer against the skin on the chest.

Bongiorno, co-founder of Humane, told The Verge that the heat can be caused by overuse or when the signal is not good, and when it gets too hot, the device will actively turn off.

The company added that it not only plans to "improve uninterrupted uptime in the next software release", but is "working to improve overall thermal performance in the next software release".

Second, the gesture interaction is complex, and it is difficult to operate correctly for 2 weeks

The AI PIN does not have a screen, so interacting with it relies heavily on the user's gestures, such as pinching, tilting the hand, etc. However, many of the participants mentioned that these gestures were too complex to use, and in some cases, the Ai Pin did not understand their intended choices or actions.

For example, the Ai Pin has a single way to wake up, and you need to tap and then enter the password with a gesture. Every time the Ai Pin is attached to the clothing, the user needs to tilt and then move the palm of the hand, and then move the distance to select the number and enter the password to unlock the device.

▲Flip the palm up and down to select the menu (Source: Wall Street Post)

However, because the range of the palm can be moved is too small, it is easy for the user to skip the correct answer when moving, which is not a good way to interact for users with low patience values.

▲Move the palm back and forth to select the number (Source: Bloomberg)

In addition to wake-up, it's even more difficult to get into more complex operations like system settings, and the Washington Post author said that after two weeks, it's still difficult for him to quickly select the right menu to operate.

Third, the palm projection effect is poor, and the strong light environment is completely suspended

Projecting on the palm of your hand is a very novel way, but it has also become one of the most criticized features of Ai Pin.

The projection of the Ai Pin can only be used at a distance of 7 to 14 inches from the device and cannot be projected onto any wall, the intelligence is on the palm of the hand, its text is bright green and white, and the font is large.

▲The projection effect of Ai Pin in a strong light environment (Source: Washington Post)

However, its projection effect is not good, and it is easily disturbed by the external environment. Foreign media mentioned,Ai Pin projector720pThe resolution is terrible,Its projection of green light can project the text to the user's hand very well,But if it is in strong light,It's completely off。

There are even foreign media assertions that Humane's laser projector display will never be a viable way to interact with gadgets, it is too sensitive and slow to navigate.

Fourth, you can't see the preview when taking pictures, and the photos in the dark environment are blurry

Ai Pin's camera can shoot 1080p video at 30fps and images with a maximum resolution of 4160×3120. In contrast to a mobile phone, this chest-worn device allows the user to press the shutter at any time.

But this "anytime" is often accompanied by an "endless wait". The AI Pin's camera response is slow, and after the user double-taps the device, they must be still for at least 3 seconds before they can shoot.

On the plus side, the Ai Pin provides audio and visual feedback through a flashing green light and a shutter click when the camera starts, allowing both the user and those around them to sense that the device is recording, but the shutter sounds need to sound three times to save the image.

Other troubles are that because there is no screen, it is difficult for users to see the photo effect of the Ai Pin, which can only be displayed in monochrome through projection, and it is difficult to guarantee the composition of the photo.

Once in the dark, the device is not even as effective as the 2012 Nokia E7, such as the photos of friends gathered by foreign media, which are grainy and shaky.

▲ Engadget's author used Ai Pin to take a picture of a friend's party (Source: Engadget)

5. Only one music app is supported, and an additional $11 is required

The Ai Pin's built-in speaker doesn't work well for calls, but once the user is in a crowd, the sound can easily drown out. Thankfully, though, this problem can be avoided by connecting to Bluetooth headphones such as Apple's AirPods.

There are also foreign media who have experienced the music function of Ai Pin, which currently only supports the music app Tidal, but after trying to play Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album, users found that Ai Pin could not play the tunes they wanted.

Bongiorno previously responded that this particular bug had been fixed. However, the follow-up Ai Pin still can't consistently play the tune that the user wants.

While this music feature isn't great, users will have to pay extra to use the only music feature on the device, and users will get a 90-day free trial when they use Tidal's paid streaming service through Ai Pin, and then they will have to pay $11 per month to continue playing music through Ai Pin.

6. The T-Mobile network is $24 per month, and a dedicated phone number is also required

To use the Ai Pin normally, you also need to pay $24 per month to subscribe to the T-Mobile network. Although users get three months of free startup time at first, after this period and the user does not pay for it, Ai Pin cannot be used.

Many people found it annoying, especially since the user had to provide the Ai Pin with a dedicated phone number, an additional cellular connection that wasn't connected to an existing number, in order for it to answer questions and execute commands.

If you want to roam internationally, you will be charged $5 per day and $50 every 30 days, depending on how long you are abroad.

In other words, after purchasing this $699 worth of hardware, users also need to pay $24 and $11 per month to use it normally.

7. The initial setting needs to be restarted repeatedly, and there are fatal flaws in the basic design

Mark Gurman, a well-known Bloomberg journalist, said that setting up the Ai Pin was challenging from the beginning.

He needs to restart the device a few times for it to work. By default, users need to enter a password every time they enable it, but sometimes the password entry screen doesn't appear and can only be restarted. Gurman attributed this to a fatal flaw in the device's basic design and interfaces.

8. The wearing method is complex and troublesome, which is easy to make the opposite user uneasy

Although the Ai Pin weighs only half the weight of the Apple Watch, it makes it difficult to wear the device on clothing when wearing clothing with light fabrics.

That's why Humane has introduced a $50 stainless steel clip that can be used to glue equipment to heavier materials or belts, backpacks, and more.

▲马克·古尔曼佩戴 pin(图源:彭博社)

However, if the user's area needs to add or remove the jacket in different occasions, it will not increase the difficulty of use again, and the position of the device needs to be changed at any time. At the same time, when users are walking outdoors, they will often worry about "will it be damaged by rain", "will it fall suddenly" and other questions.

The Ai Pin also can't be placed on a backpack because it has to be clicked to start interacting, and there is no voice wake-up word, so the user can only wear it in a place that is easy to touch.

It is worth noting that some cameras and recording devices are often worn in such a way that they are pinned to their clothes, which may make the person opposite the user uneasy and unable to communicate normally.

9. There is no mobile app, and it can only be read by the portal

Ai Pin, which does not have a smartphone app, also makes it difficult for experiencers.

They can't quickly set up or access data from their phones, and Gurman believes that Humane seems intent on building an all-in-one platform that can exist outside of the existing iOS and Android ecosystems. This makes it more difficult for users to easily incorporate it into their lives, and no amount of marketing can solve this problem.

Users need to visit humane.center and log in to view photos and other data in the Ai Pin, but foreign media commented that the portal is quite rudimentary.

▲humane.center主页(图源:Humane)

10. The response is extremely slow, the text is not right, or it is related to the hallucinations of large models

When the AI Pin is executed, it must be processed through Humane's server, which also makes it very inefficient. The review of foreign media The Verge mentioned that after many days of testing, the only thing the author can really rely on Ai Pin to do is to inform him of the time.

For example, if an author asks Ai Pin to write down information about the library's book sales for the next week, it is usually waiting for Ai Pin to process it, and then receiving a response such as "I can't add this content" or "It's not convenient", so it is difficult to get valuable information quickly.

Sometimes, when a user stands in front of a restaurant and asks about the Ai Pin, they will also get a failed answer such as "the restaurant cannot be found, the server does not respond", etc., after "endless waiting". According to Bongiorno, these problems can come from model hallucinations, server issues, etc., which will improve over time.

However, judging from the current response efficiency, users can use their mobile phones to get accurate answers much faster than Ai Pin.

11. The battery life is terrible, only 5 hours from full charge to shutdown

For this small device, the issue of battery life is also of particular concern.

The Ai Pin itself has a built-in battery that can run for roughly 4 hours, and it comes with two battery boosters that can extend the run time to 9 hours, which looks like it can basically meet the daily needs of the user for a day.

▲ Pin 便携式充电器(图源:CNED)

But the actual effect is far from this, and The Verge's review article mentions that at one point, when he left the Ai Pin and the battery booster in his backpack untouched for 5 hours, the two devices went from fully charged to completely dead, and were not used at all during this time.

12. The Vision function is slightly "mentally retarded", which perfectly avoids the correct answer

There is also a Vision function that uses a camera and AI to recognize objects in front of you in real time, but the actual results are not satisfactory.

When foreign media asked it to identify the flower and asked "what kind of flower is this", Ai Pin will give the answer "The flower is yellow with red stripes inside", although this is completely consistent with the appearance characteristics of this flower, it completely avoids the user's question.

Another time, when I was also asked about the category of a flower, Ai Pin would give an outrageous answer of "this is an eggplant".

Bongiorno said that this feature may be related to problems such as the current large models that are prone to hallucinations, and they will upgrade and iterate in subsequent products.

13. Responding to popular criticism, Humane's head of product engineering, who developed the first generation of the iPhone

When Humane's Ai Pin received some harsh comments on the web, Humane's head of product engineering, Ken Kocienda, posted a lengthy response on social media and quickly defended the device.

Kocienda argues that it's easy to be steered by trending rhetoric on social media today, and it's easy to find people online who are willing to jump on the skepticism bandwagon and stare at the same thing you're pointing out and finding holes in every little detail.

He believes that some users have a concern about being exposed to new things and looking for how the Ai Pin fits into your life. But whether it's the Ai Pin or laptops and smartphones, there are times when there is a "frustrating" situation, there is no perfect product, and like other technologies, the Ai Pin will experience the same ups and downs.

Finally, Kocienda ran a wave of ads for the Ai Pin, and users will only know how the product is right for you if they actually use the device.

▲Screenshot of Ken Kocienda's tweet, Head of Product Engineering at Humane (Source: Twitter)

Here's a full compilation of Ken Kocienda, Head of Product Engineering at Humane, in response to criticism:

Today, the first public comments on Humane's AI hardware, Ai Pin, are now available for everyone to browse. In my career, I've developed several 1.0 products that you guys may have used, and the main one is that the first generation iPhone is the main one of them, so I've been through something similar before. Let me briefly say some of my thoughts and feelings today.

I'm proud because it's hard to create something new. But the team at Top Humane managed to turn the dream into a reality, and it all felt great. I'm a happy Ai Pin user and I love this gadget.

I don't think you're obligated to care about that pride, or how I feel personally, or what the Humane team is trying to do. Ultimately, a tech product needs to be beneficial to the people who buy and use it. These benefits must be equal to, and hopefully, far outweigh the time and money costs of the product, and there is no doubt about it: that's what we're aiming for.

I don't think computers have evolved yet, and they are far from reaching their potential to help humanity in everyday life. So in order to reach this potential, things have to change, and it's much more comfortable to continue doing the same things in the same way, because we've built up daily habits and moment-to-moment muscle memory for a specific set of tasks.

But there is no point in changing for the sake of change, which brings me to the next point. I think the big model is a huge step up compared to the CPU. A few decades ago, the development of the first CPUs inspired people to make operating systems and programming models, and eventually to develop personal computers that allowed people to take advantage of the technology without having to be techies.

Now, big models are at a similar moment, with AI changing at a rate far faster than what we saw on PCs decades ago. We built the Ai Pin with this historical perspective in mind. We're excited about how AI will drive computers and drive our next big advancement. We are ready to quickly change and evolve our products to take full advantage of this potential.

I feel that today's social media landscape encourages hot comments...... And the spicier the better! In fact, it's easy to find people online who are willing to jump on the skepticism bandwagon, who are dumbfounded at the same thing you point out and find holes in every little detail. I understand this behavior. However, computers will continue to change and get better, and at the same time the way we use them will change. AI will be an important part of driving this change. Everyone will adapt, and the new normal will become the norm.

I think people own and use a diverse range of computing devices and can easily and seamlessly use different devices every day. Now, Ai Pin has become a part of my daily routine. I use it most often to ask questions, I use it to do web searches, and often end up reading Wikipedia articles. But I can now dive into the exact details that I'm interested in, which is very interesting and useful for me, so I'll always use a product like this.

I think it's understandable that some users have a concern about being exposed to new things and looking for how the Ai Pin fits into your life. Can Ai Pin be frustrating at times? Yes. Can my laptop and smartphone be frustrating at times? Yes, there is no perfect product. The Ai Pin has a great form factor, and our new Ai OS is a wonderful new thing to explore, but it's not magic. Like other technologies, Ai Pin goes through the same ups and downs. You need to understand how the product will work for you. So while it suits me, I hope it suits you.

I feel like I can trust my instincts. A few years ago, I made an autocorrect keyboard for my first iPhone. At first, there were considerable doubts about the concept of a touchscreen keyboard itself. However, when I built the technology, I felt like it was something to learn. I saw how the first batch of people inside Apple did it when the product was still a hidden secret: they got it. With a little time and effort, it becomes easy for them.

Obviously, this has also become easier for most people on the planet over time. This job then opens up the entire phone screen to them, because when they are not using it, the keyboard may disappear. The same vanishing behavior happens all the time with Ai Pin. Finding the touchpad, asking questions, listening to answers, applying answers, and moving on with your life is very simple and frictionless with the Ai Pin. My gut tells me that we are on the right track. It only takes a little time and effort for people to get it, and this model will win.

So, is Ai Pin right for you? If you're on the fence, ask yourself. Are you excited about how AI can help you change the way you interact with information on a daily basis? Do you want to be part of the conversation that will drive the next wave of personal technology? Are you interested in changing some of your tech habits to find something better? Do you like cool new gadgets? If so, Ai Pin is ready for you today.

Conclusion: It's really good-looking, but it's still far from a "replacement iPhone".

Humane claims that Ai Pin is a way for consumers to reduce their reliance on smartphones and an alternative to "typing on a keyboard or scrolling across a screen." But from practical experience, it's clearly not convincing.

The Verge reviews that the product is "completely unfinished" and wouldn't recommend anyone to spend $699 on it and pay for a $24 monthly subscription.

YouTuber and tech commentator MrMobile called it "not enough", Wired magazine called it "not that useful", and Engadget likened it to "a spoon when someone asks for a knife and fork: good enough, but not a perfect replacement".

There are also some opposing views.

"The narrative that a new product needs to 'kill' or 'replace' another product with similar functionality is tiresome. According to Ray Wong, associate editor of Inverse Technical Review and Guide, "The reality is that this is not the case. Laptops don't wipe out desktops, foldables don't wipe out smartphones, smartwatches don't wipe out phones, and headphones don't wipe out laptops, desktops, smartphones, tablets, or other devices. ”

A New York Times reviewer said he liked Ai Pin's "chic aesthetic" and concept, but was critical of other aspects.

Judging from the functions implemented by Ai Pin so far, it is far from the beautiful vision that Humane wants to achieve. Responding to The Verge's question, Bongiorno said: "Today is not the first chapter, but the first page. We have an ambitious roadmap that includes software improvements, new features, additional partnerships, and our SDK. All of this will make your Ai Pin smarter and more powerful over time. ”